


Little Boy Found

by lil_1337



Category: Gundam Wing
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-07-02
Updated: 2009-07-02
Packaged: 2017-11-06 23:50:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 531
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/424570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lil_1337/pseuds/lil_1337
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for the <a href="http://gw500.livejournal.com/profile"><img/></a><a href="http://gw500.livejournal.com/"><b>gw500</b></a> Women of Summer challenge prompt of Sister Helen</p>
            </blockquote>





	Little Boy Found

"Duo, wait!" Sister Helen's voice rang out as she followed the boy who was defiantly stomping down the main aisle of the church. He was parallel with the statue, the one of Mary with the wreath of flowers in her hair, when she caught up with him.

She put a restraining hand on his arm and sighed. "Oh, Duo, you did it /again/.

Anger and guilt flared in him. Anger at himself for letting the taunts of the other kids get to him and guilt for once again letting Sister Helen down. He always disappointed people. That's why they left him. Trying not to cry, he lashed out, placing blame where he knew it belonged. "It was /their/ fault.../theirs/!"

Her mouth dropped in surprise at the vehemence of his outburst. She should be used to them by now, but his usual sunny disposition tended to make her forget about the anger and passion that burned underneath. "How can you say that when it was /you/ that sent the other kids to hospital?"

Duo blinked. Kids? He had thought he'd only hurt one. Maybe he had been crazier than he'd thought. He gulped down the fear creeping in, trying to hold onto his anger. He could hide in anger; it gave him a strength that fear took away. "Yeah...but..."

"Duo..." Sister Helen took in the look and the clenched fists that hung at his sides. Years of working with street kids allowed her to see the sadness under the anger in his eyes. She dropped to her knees so they were on the same level. Tentatively she rested her fingers on his arms. "What...did they say to you?"

"They said..." He shifted his gaze to look at her, really look at her. For the first time he really saw the understanding and love that he'd missed. She was upset, not just with him, but for him. "They said I smelled like a sewer."

Before he had time to react, he was in her arms. He wasn't quite sure when or how it happened just that suddenly she was holding him tightly. She was smiling. He could feel it. She held him like that for a moment before speaking. "See, you're not smelly at all."

"Really?" He couldn't keep the hope from his voice. He wanted to believe it. More than anything he wanted to be loved and accepted by this woman who was the closest thing to a mother he had ever had.

"/Really/." Her voice held conviction; the same quiet strength of righteousness that it always had when she spoke of her God. She believed in a way that made Duo wish that he had her faith. "So no matter what people say, you just ignore them."

He smiled. Really smiled, not the fake one he used for most people. She had not given up on him. Maybe if she could believe in him then he wasn't stupid or smelly or useless like the other kids said. "Okay." It was a single word. Simple in its context and yet to Duo it was a promise. A commitment to believe in himself no matter what anyone else might say.


End file.
